Healthy eating steps for those with arthritis

By Angela Walli

Arthritis is a medical term used to describe inflammation of the joints. Symptoms include joint pain, redness and swelling. There are four major types of arthritis: Degenerative arthritis which comes about when the cartilage wears away, causing friction when bone rubs against bone. There is also inflammatory arthritis which is mainly autoimmune, infectious arthritis caused by bacteria infecting the joints and metabolic arthritis which is due to too much uric acid in the body, which causes pain in the joints and toe joints (gout). Symptoms vary from person to person and will manifest from time to time. However, in severe cases, arthritis can result in chronic pain that is accompanied by the inability to perform normal daily activities. There are however, certain steps one can take to prevent joint pain and damage, improve their mobility and quality of life. Learning about how to eat an arthritis-friendly diet will go a long way to improve symptoms. Controlling your weight is an important first step towards taking charge of your arthritis. When there is too much weight, it tends to put strain on the already strained joints, causing pain and increasing the rate of degeneration of joints.

Reduce your intake of high calorie foods and focus on diet plans that will help you make a sustainable change in your lifestyle. Since arthritis is an inflammatory disease, eating an anti-inflammatory diet can help to prevent symptom flare ups. Therefore ensure you get a serving of fruits and vegetables in every meal to boost your antioxidant intake. Opt for healthier fats like olive oil as opposed to saturated fats and trans-fats found in fried snacks and animal products. Also include omega-3 fatty acid sources.

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